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Show [ 36 J that he !lJou'd quit the t elt to them. ' Twas to be pr,efum'd, the King k.new his Grand_fon's mind upon this head, and that be had ~tthcr Authority from him to treat of a Par~ltiO~, or ·that he had himfelf the power In h1s hands to oblige him to coofent to it. But this the Plenipotentiarys cou'd not fpeak fully to at this Conference ; 'twas left to be the Subjea of the next, which was not h·etd till 'june 16. For tho that Exprefs arriv'd the 6th, it was not notify'd till the 1 otb. Hy this time the French Court were pretty well out of pain for Arras, their Army having been fome time a!lembled, and in fuch ground, as would make it impracticable for the Allies to come either at them or the Town: And this probably had no little fhare in regulating the Motions of the French Counfels, and the InltruC.!ions they fent to their Minifters ; . with whom the Deputies had on the 16th Conferences from morning to· night, upon this capital Point, How the Allies fltou'd be put into pofTeffion of Spain and the I11die!, To which the· Anfwer was, That the King was willing to concert the proper Meafures with them, according to the fourth Art.icle. But this the Deputies could not t hink fufficient: for this he was oblig'd to by the Preliminaries, tho the 37th had been ftruck out ; befides that it was inconfi{tent with a General Peace, which they had all along inlifled on, and would necefTarily engaze them in a Spani/h War, which they had been treating of a Partition to prevent. Bun to underi!:and their Meaning more difrinEtly, they delir'd them to explain themfelves, what - - thofe [ 37 J t hofe Me~ fnres were, the King would cameinto: Would he join his Forces to theirs to oblige his Grandfon to accept the Term; he fltou;d make ~or him?. Why yes, perhaps he wou d. But tn the dtfcuffing this Point, they took care to frart a thoufand Difficulties to fltew it was impraClicable ; ·fuch as thefe how to fettle what lhou'd be the whole Fore~ employ'd to reduce Spain and the Indies· what Shar~ ~ach fhou'd contribute; how they 7fltou'd all:, JOintly or feparatcly; who fltou'd command; how and where and by whom their lnftruclions for aC)ing lhou'd be form'd, and the like: and the fame Difficultys might be ftarted for the Sea-Service. Well if thefi Meafures are impracticable, as nod'oubt the; are whe_re one Party never deligns to come h~artlly ID~o them ; what are thofe the Kin· Will ~orne rnto? Why, he will contribute~ cerram_ Sum of Many towards the Expence the All_tes ~all be at on this occafion. How now wtll tins mend the matter? How Jhall they be able to fettle the Sum, and fecure the Paymen_t? The fi_rft of thefe is a ver dtffic~lt Potnt,_ when 1t comes to be draw~ out Into _p~rttculars, and· to be confider'd how hard It 1s to k_now the Ex pence of fuch a War, how long It may continue when and where and at ":'hat time the Pay~ents fllal! be made; and tf a Sum certain can't be filC 'd at firft, who fhal_l fettle the Proportion France lhall pay, or o~ltge them to acqciefce in it) But tf thef~ Dlfficulrys cou'd be overcome. what Jecunty can the Allies have for Pay: me~t. A very pretty one indeed is that wluch the {rencb offer'd, That th~ richeft - Bankers |